Screenwriters J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have had an interesting career so far, as they have worked on several high profile projects, but they either went uncredited or the projects didn’t go into production. They were uncredited on Star Trek Beyond, then wrote a Star Trek sequel script that didn’t get made. They were uncredited on Jungle Cruise. Same for Godzilla vs. Kong. They wrote a Flash Gordon script that isn’t being used. An adaptation of a graphic novel called Boilerplate and a script based on the Hasbro property Micronauts don’t appear to be moving forward. They tried to develop a live-action X-Men series for Fox. But now they’re the creators and executive producers of the upcoming Amazon series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and they’re using their new clout to get one of their old scripts into production. Payne and McKay are producing the new cannibal-centric movie Escape, which James Watkins (The Woman in Black) will be directing from a Payne and McKay script that was featured on the Black List back in 2017.
Escape is inspired by
the true story of convicts Robert Greenhill and Alexander Pearce, and their sensational journey of survival after escaping from prison, which scandalized the Victorian-era world. When the wrongly-accused Greenhill is shipped to the harshest Tasmanian penal colony in the 1820s, he quickly realizes his only chance of survival is to partner with the notorious murderer Pearce and five other hardened criminals in order to escape. Now on the run in the treacherous wilds, their epic adventure takes increasingly darker and more dangerous turns as Greenhill slowly realizes he may have allied with a force more evil than he suspected.
Deadline describes the project as a “action adventure”, but the story of Greenhill and Pearce could allow the film to go deep into thriller territory and get quite unnerving. The escape attempt didn’t go well for the convicts, as they wandered through the wilderness for several weeks and had to resort to cannibalism. A survivor would later be quoted as saying, “Man’s flesh is delicious. It tastes far better than fish or pork.”
Payne and McKay are producing Escape under their 10:40pm Productions banner. The Hideaway Entertainment’s Jonathan Gray, Matthew Rhodes, and Kristy Grisham are also producing. Ryan Cassells of The Hideaway serves as executive producer. Grisham is overseeing the project for The Hideaway.
Payne and McKay provided the following statement:
We came across this incredible true-life story years ago; it captured our imaginations and has stayed with us ever since. We are beyond thrilled to be partnering with director James Watkins and our friends at The Hideaway to bring it to the screen at last.”
Watkins added:
From The Revenant to Captain Philips, Gravity to Deliverance, I’ve always loved survival movies: how, in our age of anxiety, they showcase the power of human resilience and resourcefulness. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Payne & McKay and the incredibly supportive team at The Hideaway: to ESCAPE together and hopefully take audiences with us on a white-knuckle ride into the wild.”
And Rhodes had this to say:
Payne and McKay have done a masterful job creating complex characters that go on an unbelievable and epic adventure. This paired with James’ authentic approach to storytelling set in a stunning landscape deep in the wilderness of Tasmania is a cinematic journey for global audiences. We are thrilled to be partnering with these visionaries and bringing this story to life.”
Here’s hoping that Escape will lean into the thrills and horror of the escape attempt.
How does Escape, this cannibal-themed movie, sound to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below.